wasn’t nearly as simple as it sounded. What his father meant was, “are you going to take any of my advice today?” Or, “will today be the day you figure out how to get on with your life?”
“Well…” He cleared his throat. “Today is Saturday.” That too was code, for get off my back old man . “Later, I’m driving over to Hank’s. He got some bad news, I think.”
His father’s eyebrows furrowed together over his coffee mug. “Is it serious?”
Bear set down his spoon. “Not medical news, Dad.” Ten months after his accident, Hank’s health was no longer touch and go. In fact, he was doing about as well as a guy could be doing who’d lost everything, including the use of both legs.
It’s just that he was stuck in a wheelchair forever. And he was big-time depressed about it.
“What, then?”
Bear sighed. “His ex-girlfriend just got engaged, and it’s all over the news.”
“You never liked her, though,” his father said.
Bear grunted at the stupidity of that statement. “But he did, Dad. Jesus.”
His father ignored the protest. “So you’re free until when, then? Because there’s a message on my machine from the ski hill. But I was supposed to take a run over to Rutland to pick up a tire for the truck.”
Okay. So his father’s what are you doing today had really been the prelude to asking for a favor. Bear could work with that. “I’ll listen to the message. If they need something today, I’ll run over and take a look.”
His father set his mug in the sink. “Thank you. Need anything from Rutland?”
Bear shook his head. The things he needed could not be found in stores. He needed to figure out what the fuck he was going to do with the next chapter of his life. And he needed Hank to do the same — and to get that scary, defeated look off his face. The one that suggested life wasn’t worth living anymore.
After his dad left, Bear listened to the message on his father’s business line. Barry Electrical kept business hours, more or less, but weekend emergencies were not uncommon. And in a small town, an electrician couldn’t afford to ignore any business, no matter how ill-timed. Especially a call from the ski mountain, which was easily the biggest business in town.
“Hello, Barry men!” a voice sang into the machine. It was Anya, who worked in operations on the hill. “We need one of you to take a look at our snow cams, if you would. We might want to move one of them this year. I’m working Saturday, of course. So swing by if you get a chance. Or you can call and we’ll pick another day to work on this. Toodles!”
Now he understood now why his father had asked him to handle the call, which was certainly not urgent. Cameras were Bear’s thing. He was good with them. Although his father would never give praise aloud, he knew Bear was good with cameras, too.
Bear would just as soon head over there now. It was good weather for an outdoor job, and it was Saturday. That reduced his chances of running into Stella in the office. He felt the same little thud of pain in his chest that occurred every time he thought of her.
It was Stella who preferred it that he keep his distance. She’d been avoiding him since the dark days of last December.
Bear took a basic electrical toolbox from the equipment shed and carried it to the driveway. It was a gorgeous October day, sunny with a bit of a nip in the air. He put the tools in the back of Hank’s old 4Runner.
It wasn’t until the third time Bear had borrowed Hank’s old SUV to run some errand or another for Hank that his friend had said, “Just keep that thing for awhile, okay? You gave up your Utah wheels. So you should drive my Toyota. In case you haven’t noticed, I sure as hell can’t drive it.”
Nine months later, Bear was still driving it. And he didn’t know what to do about that. Hank now drove a brand new sports car outfitted with a set of hand controls, which the 4Runner did not have. But this wasn’t
“Well…” He cleared his throat. “Today is Saturday.” That too was code, for get off my back old man . “Later, I’m driving over to Hank’s. He got some bad news, I think.”
His father’s eyebrows furrowed together over his coffee mug. “Is it serious?”
Bear set down his spoon. “Not medical news, Dad.” Ten months after his accident, Hank’s health was no longer touch and go. In fact, he was doing about as well as a guy could be doing who’d lost everything, including the use of both legs.
It’s just that he was stuck in a wheelchair forever. And he was big-time depressed about it.
“What, then?”
Bear sighed. “His ex-girlfriend just got engaged, and it’s all over the news.”
“You never liked her, though,” his father said.
Bear grunted at the stupidity of that statement. “But he did, Dad. Jesus.”
His father ignored the protest. “So you’re free until when, then? Because there’s a message on my machine from the ski hill. But I was supposed to take a run over to Rutland to pick up a tire for the truck.”
Okay. So his father’s what are you doing today had really been the prelude to asking for a favor. Bear could work with that. “I’ll listen to the message. If they need something today, I’ll run over and take a look.”
His father set his mug in the sink. “Thank you. Need anything from Rutland?”
Bear shook his head. The things he needed could not be found in stores. He needed to figure out what the fuck he was going to do with the next chapter of his life. And he needed Hank to do the same — and to get that scary, defeated look off his face. The one that suggested life wasn’t worth living anymore.
After his dad left, Bear listened to the message on his father’s business line. Barry Electrical kept business hours, more or less, but weekend emergencies were not uncommon. And in a small town, an electrician couldn’t afford to ignore any business, no matter how ill-timed. Especially a call from the ski mountain, which was easily the biggest business in town.
“Hello, Barry men!” a voice sang into the machine. It was Anya, who worked in operations on the hill. “We need one of you to take a look at our snow cams, if you would. We might want to move one of them this year. I’m working Saturday, of course. So swing by if you get a chance. Or you can call and we’ll pick another day to work on this. Toodles!”
Now he understood now why his father had asked him to handle the call, which was certainly not urgent. Cameras were Bear’s thing. He was good with them. Although his father would never give praise aloud, he knew Bear was good with cameras, too.
Bear would just as soon head over there now. It was good weather for an outdoor job, and it was Saturday. That reduced his chances of running into Stella in the office. He felt the same little thud of pain in his chest that occurred every time he thought of her.
It was Stella who preferred it that he keep his distance. She’d been avoiding him since the dark days of last December.
Bear took a basic electrical toolbox from the equipment shed and carried it to the driveway. It was a gorgeous October day, sunny with a bit of a nip in the air. He put the tools in the back of Hank’s old 4Runner.
It wasn’t until the third time Bear had borrowed Hank’s old SUV to run some errand or another for Hank that his friend had said, “Just keep that thing for awhile, okay? You gave up your Utah wheels. So you should drive my Toyota. In case you haven’t noticed, I sure as hell can’t drive it.”
Nine months later, Bear was still driving it. And he didn’t know what to do about that. Hank now drove a brand new sports car outfitted with a set of hand controls, which the 4Runner did not have. But this wasn’t
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